Lithuania seeks to adopt Finland’s best practices in total defence

Lithuania aims to adopt Finland’s successful experience in total defence to strengthen societal preparedness and resilience, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said Friday during a meeting with Finland’s Minister for International Trade and Development Ville Tavio in Vilnius.

The meeting took place as part of a state visit by Finland’s president, with Budrys emphasizing that Lithuania and Finland share both common values and strategic goals.

“Finland’s experience in total defence is exceptional. We seek to adopt Finland’s best practices and apply them in Lithuania to enhance societal preparedness and resilience,” Budrys said in a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministers discussed bilateral relations, regional security, defence industry cooperation, and economic collaboration. Budrys highlighted that Lithuania and Finland’s partnership is dynamic, consistently strengthening, and based on shared values and strategic interests.

“Finland is a close and trusted partner for Lithuania in the European Union, a NATO ally, and an important member of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) family. Our bilateral relations today are stronger than ever,” the Lithuanian foreign minister said.

He noted that with Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership, the Nordic-Baltic region—including the Arctic—has become a unified security space, creating further incentives to deepen Nordic-Baltic cooperation.

Budrys also stressed the growing economic ties between the two countries, noting that Finland is the 14th-largest investor in Lithuania, with Finnish companies actively expanding their operations in the country. He underscored the need to strengthen regional defence industries and ensure reliable supply chains.

The meeting follows increased NATO focus on defence in the alliance’s eastern flank and Northern Europe amid threats assessed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Finland joined NATO in 2023, followed by Sweden in 2024.